1. Varieties of Drama Intro to Theatre, Unit II

2. Varieti es of Drama In ancient Greece, actors wore masks. As drama has evolved through the ages, these two have come to symbolize the two major divisions of theatre.

3. Varieti es of Drama Comedy Tragedy

4. Varieties of Drama

5. Trage dy “The world is a comedy to those that think; a tragedy to those that feel” Brainstorm words, thoughts, ideas, etc., that you associate with tragedy.

6. Charac teristic s of Traged y Tragedy Somber and thoughtful Based on profound human emotions and conflicts Transcends time and place

7. The Tragic Hero The focus of most tragedy is the protagonist – often referred to as the tragic hero. A.Significant (better-than-average) person who is engaged in a struggle (internal or external) B.His/her outcome appears predestined and the audience knows there is nothing the character can do about it C.The struggle and inevitability of outcome elicit pity, compassion and fear from the audience – called pathos

8. The Tragic Hero They have a flaw or make an error that has serious consequences Tragic Flaw They make no apologies for their actions No Apologies They set their goals based on unyielding beliefs Rigid Goals They know that almost everything worth having demands sacrifice Recognize Sacrifice They are willing to make the sacrifice themselves, never asking another to make sacrifices for them Willing to Sacrifice

9. Hama rtia and Hubri s The tragic flaw is root of the tragic hero’s misfortune. Hamartia is the Greek term given to the action or flaw that cause the protagonist’s difficulties Hubris, or excessive pride, is the most common example of this flaw

10. The Tragic Plot

11. Patho s and Catha rsis In tragedy we assign terms to the collections of emotions felt by the audience during the course of the drama Pathos – feelings of pity and compassion for the tragic hero accompanied by the fear that we could fall victim to the same circumstances and fate ourselves Catharsis – the purging of emotions by the audience; a sense of release

12. Comedy Varieties of Drama

13. Come dy “The world is a comedy to those that think; a tragedy to those that feel” Brainstorm words, thoughts, ideas, etc., that you associate with comedy.

14. Comparing Tragedy and Comedy Tragedy 1.Inevitability 2.Universal appeal 3.Emotionally driven/centered 4.Protagonist fails at achieving goals 5.Protagonist alienated from society 6.Protagonist is extraordinary 7.Protagonist falls from grace – loses respect, position, dreams, etc. Comedy 1.Predictable unpredictability 2.Often time and place oriented 3.Intellectually driven 4.Protagonist achieves goals 5.Protagonist is often elevated 6.Protagonist is average or less-than average 7.Protagonist overcomes own mistakes and shortcomings

15. Comedy = Laughter Comedy is primarily about amusing or pleasing the audience. This is often manifested in laughter. What causes us to laugh?

16. Seven Common Causes of Laughter An overstatement or amplification Physical characteristics, mannerisms, mental characteristics Exaggeration Anything that seems out of place, out of time, or out of the realm of the expected Incongruity Looking forward to or expecting something humorous based on established circumstances Anticipation Double-meaning (words meant in one context but are humorous in another) Ambiguity Discovering hidden or obscure meanings Discovering what’s going to happen before it actually does Recognition Feeling secure although cruel, violent, and/or abusive events are happening to a character Protection Building up pressure and then releasing it Relief

17. Types of Comedy Low Comedy  Physical  Pain  Misfortune  Crude Behavior  Does not require thought  “mindless” High Comedy  Intellectual  Varied Circumstances  Social Norms  Requires thought  “thoughtful”

18. LOW COMEDY Farce Improbable characters and implausible coincidences and events Include practical jokes, mistaken/feigned identity, and clowning Parody Mockery of a certain person or work using caricature Requires prior subject of the subject being ridiculed Includes physical comedy but relies less on it farce Burlesque In the United States, refers to variety shows that included farcical elements and some parody Usually consisted of short vignettes

19. FARCE (How do these fit the definition of farce?)

20. PARODY

21. BURLESQUE

22. HIGH COMEDY Satire Ridicules individuals and/or social attitudes with intellectual attack Goal of raising awareness or changing something for the better Comedy of Manners Mocks the pretenses of the upper-class (or in modern cases, accepted social norms) Foundation of puns, witty dialogue, and ironies

23. SATIRE

24. COMEDY OF MANNERS

25. EXAMPLE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUF6xaw2Dbs What is this an example of? Why? How does this differ from types of Low Comedy?

26. Other Forms Varieties of Drama

27. Other Forms  Fantasy  Melodrama  Play of Ideas  Psychological Drama  The “Whodunnit”  Allegory  Children’s Theatre  Puppet Theatre

28. Other Forms Fantasy Unreal characters, dreams, imaginary times and places Basis in reality in which a main character escapes Melodrama Stock characters and implausible plots Flat and clearly defined villains and heroes Clear-cut morality

29. Other Forms Play of Ideas Social drama Deals with a relevant social problem Psychological Drama Explores the complexities of the human psyche and relationships

30. Other Forms Whodunnit Suspense lies in solving a crime Also includes courtroom drama Allegory Teaches moral concepts through abstract characters

31. Other Forms Children’s Targeted at young audiences Often uses audience participation Puppet Theatre Mix of actors and puppeteers Sometimes actors are visible to audience

32. Full-bodied Puppet